1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video camera stabilization system, and, more particularly, to a video camera stabilization system that counteracts unwanted and irregular image motion.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are numerous known video surveillance systems which may be used to track a moving object such as a person or vehicle. Some such systems utilize a fixed camera having a stationary field of view (FOV). To fully cover a given surveillance site with a fixed camera system, however, it will oftentimes be necessary to use a significant number of fixed cameras.
Movable cameras which may pan, tilt and/or zoom may also be used to track objects. The use of a PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) camera system will typically reduce the number of cameras required for a given surveillance site and also thereby reduce the number and cost of the video feeds and system integration hardware such as multiplexers and switchers associated therewith. Control signals for directing the pan, tilt, zoom movements typically originate from a human operator via a joystick or from an automated video tracking system.
A problem is that, in addition to being intentionally moved as a result of the PTZ control signals, the camera can also be unintentionally moved by external forces, such as air movement or mounting arm vibration. The inadvertent camera movements typically lead to a video image that is “jumpy”, and thus unpleasant to observe.
What is needed in the art is a video system capable of stabilizing an image to compensate for inadvertent movement of the camera.